MinDig TV starts to take off in Hungary

Growing sales, decreasing prices: the MinDig TV compatible equipment on the way to be the ‘perfect gift’ for this Christmas

According to the very recent sales figures, there was a 50% growth in the sales of DVB-T MPEG-4 compatible equipment in September compared with the previous month. Parallel to this, a 8% decrease of the average prices was recorded for these receivers in the same month, turning them into the ‘perfect gift’ for this Christmas. On the basis of these trends, around 4% of the Hungarian households should be equipped for the reception of DVB-T programs by the end of this year. The same trend is also reinforced by the fact that Antenna Hungária will provide a 88% coverage of the households by December 1, this year.

77% increase in the sales of compatible set-top-boxes in September

The appearance of the content on the MinDig TV platform as of Summer and the launch of the communication campaign in the middle of September had very positive effects on equipment prices and on the demand for DVB-T MPEG-4 integrated televisions, set-top-boxes and other equipment. Antenna Hungária uses the monthly sales statistics of GfK Piackutató Intézet for the compilation of its monthly research.

According to the very recent sales figures, there was a 50% growth in the sales of the DVB-T MPEG-4 compatible equipment (set-top-boxes, integrated televisions, PCI and USB cards, sticks) in September compared with the previous month. AH recorded an even better performance regarding the DVB-T MPEG-4 set-top-box sales, which was booming by 77%. As of end of September, already 1.7% of the Hungarian households had a DVB-T ready equipment at home, the majority of them being flat-screen integrated TV sets.

8% decrease in the prices in the course of one month

Around 8% price decrease was recorded in connection with the sales of DVB-T MPEG-4 integrated televisions, set-top-boxes and other equipment in the course of September. Compared with last December, when the MinDig TV service was launched, the average price of the above mentioned receivers was decreased by more than 50%.

On the basis of these trends, around 4% of the Hungarian households should be equipped for DVB-T by the end of this year, which is in line with similar DVB-T equipment penetration patterns in other European countries. As a consequence of the extended coverage reaching 88% of the households as of December 1, 2009, of the growing awareness and sales, cheap integrated televisions and decoders are coming to the shops all across the country, allowing the ‘Digital Christmas’ to arrive virtually in every single Hungarian home.

Available free-to-air programs of the MinDig TV service:

Encoded programs, available with Terra+ pre-paid card of Antenna Digital service: